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I see now that one mistake I made was failing to see if Mark A. has any even poor condition used driver side panels and in whatever different configurations they were in, and then buying them from him also.
At some point I'm going to need to learn where the rear mounting point changed to a screw hole from a larger hole to fit a twist-in plastic panel clip, like the panels in my 82. I'll need to know at some point when that change was made.
Last edited by Jerry Feather; 05-30-2024 at 11:20 AM.
In a vertical orientation, the bottom and top edges are pretty much offset from each other, except for one location that is about 8 inched from the rear end. That is where the two edge lines actually cross each other. Aft of that point the bottom edge is outboard from the top and then the opposite forward of that point. What I have planned to do is to form the two edges so that they are each vertical and then have the material in between have a bit of slant or other form as what I think the originals have or had, or was intended.
That is with one other exception and that is at the forward end where the panel edges are pretty much vertical from each other. There is no need to form the edges in any way up there. That is causing me some dilemma in trying to figure out just how to form the edges and to not form the edges, at least for the bottom edge. I'm getting close to figuring it out.
Last edited by Jerry Feather; 05-28-2024 at 11:02 AM.
I think I have it figured out. For the bottom edge forming dies I just need to make a small modification and then I can still mate the top die to it. I'll then roughly heat and form the bottom edge so that the dies will fit and then heat again and clamp them together, much like I have the top edge now clamped into its holding dies. Once they are all clamped together, I'll be able to heat and form the basic shape I have in mind. Then I'll move the top die for the bottom edge and put the slight bevel along the bottom edge. Then I can trim off the excess from the bottom edge; and when I figure out about the mounting holes, one panel will be finished. At least I think so.
I'll try to work some of that up this afternoon and post some pictures.
Last edited by Jerry Feather; 05-29-2024 at 12:58 PM.
I have a memory that the door cards and rear quarter panels were available in ABS from Classic9. The rear quarters were two pieces. So, somebody should already have the molds.
You remember correctly. I talked to Rob about that, and the guy who bought Rob's business is hard into upholstery, but not so much with the parts. Rob couldn't even say if he'd retained the molds. I reached out a couple of times to see if he still had or would still make these parts, and I got nothing back. I have to assume that's a dead end.
I haven't given up on the Console Side Panels, but I have been put off a bit because my belt sander has been down. I found that the bearings in the tail-end belt roller were going bad, so I ordered a new pair and they came late yesterday. I'm going to put them in this morning. Then, my son has been helping me re-roof my rental house next door, so I'll be working with him on that for about 3 hours or so.
I also received the two air-bag passenger side panels from Mark A , and although they are in kind of rough shape, they still have the original factory form to them which is telling me that I am going in the correct direction with my forming dies. Too, the plastic glove box cuff on both of them are in perfect condition, so I ought to be able to figure out how to form panels with the cuff on them in one piece.
Last edited by Jerry Feather; 06-02-2024 at 10:42 PM.
I was able to form my first prototype panel for the passenger side but it came out only fair. Here is a picture of it. It does have much of the shape I want to put into these, but it is pretty lumpy. I am going to need to move one of my die forms a bit and then I think I will need to sculpt a pair of forms with which to press the shape into them mechanically rather than just by hand with a shop towel.
Last edited by Jerry Feather; 06-04-2024 at 12:23 PM.
My plan to form these panels is turning out to be much more complex that I had thought. Well, actually the forming, when I can get to it, is going to be more simple than I thought, but working up the process to do the forming is very much more complex. I think I have much of it worked out in my mind and I'll be working some of that up this weekend, I hope,
That didn't work out very well at all. My shape for the depth of these panels or the one on the passenger side, came out pretty well, but when I heated the prototype panel up with my heat gun and pressed the form into it, it did not work. I don't seem to be able to heat the plastic consistently enough to have it form like I had hoped.
After giving it much more thought I have concluded that I am going to have to work up some forms for vacu-forming these panels. That is going to entail about 7 different forms in order to utilize the amount of plastic that is required for the working frame that is available. That probably means that I might be able to form three panels at a time. One of the forms will need to be the one for the panel for the airbag cars.
Wow, this seems like a large undertaking for side panels when straight plastic or wood seem to work well enough. I think you should focus your efforts on the 3-piece reproduction front spoiler you've been working on
Wow, this seems like a large undertaking for side panels when straight plastic or wood seem to work well enough. I think you should focus your efforts on the 3-piece reproduction front spoiler you've been working on
That was a very good suggestion; and I think it has put my mind back on the trail of tears that I think I was on when I kind of left the spoiler project.
Shawn I will cut out and send you a pair of flat panels made out of my ABS material, if you will send me a picture of the shape of your driver's side panel. They will be cut to my pattern so I think they will fit better. They will not have any of the shape I have wanted to put into these, and they will not have the mounting holes. You will have to locate the holes yourself, and you may want/need to shim the mid mounting point up a bit so that the panels fit snuggly up at the top.
05-26-2024, 12:02 PM
